''Protobothrops jerdonii xanthomelas''
[Gumprecht A, Tillack F, Orlov NL, Captain A, Ryabov S. 2004. ''Asian Pitvipers''. First Edition. Berlin: GeitjeBooks. 368 pp. .] is a
venomous
Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...
pit viper subspeciesendemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
to
China.
Description
Adults may attain a total length of , which includes a tail long.
[Günther. 1889. p. 222.]
The scalation includes 21-23 rows of
dorsal scales
In snakes, the dorsal scales are the longitudinal series of plates that encircle the body, but do not include the ventral scales
In snakes, the ventral scales or gastrosteges are the enlarged and transversely elongated scales that extend down t ...
at midbody, 176-188
ventral scales
In snakes, the ventral scales or gastrosteges are the enlarged and transversely elongated scales that extend down the underside of the body from the neck to the anal scale. When counting them, the first is the anteriormost ventral scale that cont ...
, 54-67
subcaudal scales, and 7-8
supralabial scales.
Geographic range
Found in Central and southern China, in the provinces of
Henan
Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...
,
Shaanxi
Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see § Name) is a landlocked province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichuan (SW), Gansu (W), N ...
,
Gansu,
Sichuan
Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...
,
Guizhou
Guizhou (; formerly Kweichow) is a landlocked province in the southwest region of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Guiyang, in the center of the province. Guizhou borders the autonomous region of Guangxi to the ...
,
Hubei
Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The ...
, and
Guangxi. The
type locality given is "Ichang" (=Yichang Shi, Hubei, China).
See also
*
List of crotaline species and subspecies
*
Snakebite
A snakebite is an injury caused by the bite of a snake, especially a venomous snake. A common sign of a bite from a venomous snake is the presence of two puncture wounds from the animal's fangs. Sometimes venom injection from the bite may occu ...
References
Further reading
*
Günther, A. 1889. Third Contribution to our Knowledge of Reptiles and Fishes from the Upper Yangtsze-Kiang. ''Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist.'', Sixth Series, 4 (21): 218–229. (''Trimeresurus xanthomelas'', pp. 219, 221–222).
External links
* . Accessed 8 September 2008.
* . Accessed 8 September 2008.
* . Accessed 8 September 2008.
jerdonii xanthomelas
Endemic fauna of China
Reptiles of China
Taxa named by Albert Günther
Reptiles described in 1889
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